Archive:N/any Minion Master
There are many versions of the Minion Master; however, this version, unlike many, does not use Healing Prayers line, removing any restriction on secondary class. This version is ideal for Sorrow's Furnace farming, or general PvE. Attributes and Skills prof=necro/any deathm=12+1+3 soulre=12+1 bloodm=3flesh golemshambling horrorbone fiendof the masterof lost soulsof deathbondSignet/build Equipment * Minion Master's or Radiant insignias on all but one pieces. * Bloodstained insignia on the head, hands, or feet. * A 20/20 wand and a 20/+1 offhand. Usage When starting out in a new area or low on minions: *Create a Flesh Golem with the first dead body to start off. *Create other minions depending on your Energy pool. Once you have a few minions: *Create other minions, again dependent on remaining Energy. *Use Blood of the Master to keep your minions alive. *When without a monk on your team it is perfectly viable to use Taste of Death to keep yourself alive so long as you have Minions to feed off of. *When idle, spam Blood of the Master on your minion army and use Taste of Death on a Flesh Golem to regain the health lost. Don't forget that it is usually easier to kill off an old Flesh Golem for a new one instead of repeatedly healing one. This build can happily stay alive by sacrificing a minion with Taste of Death while other minions kill foes. Variants *Deathly Swarm can be used for AoE damage. *Take Rotting Flesh to spread degeneration. (NOTE: not recommended against human foes) * Use Infuse Condition for the transfer of conditions to your minions. * By using Foul Feast with Infuse Condition, you can manage most conditions on your allies. * Skills such as Deathly Swarm and Bitter Chill can be added to give the Minion Master some direct damage skills that are linked to Death Magic. * You can bring Death Nova to make one last final use of a minion that's near death. Or cast it on your Flesh Golem, when it's in battle, cast Animate Flesh Golem and the other flesh golem will explode. * For more self healing Animate Vampiric Horror can be used in place of Animate Bone Fiend. This allows a more meat shield-like role of the minion master protecting the back line casters. If making this switch, it is a good idea to cast Animate Bone Horror more often due to the recharge time of Animate Vampiric Horror and to refresh your minions. Also great way to gain a positive health gained to sacrificed ratio if enough are summoned. * Bring Verata's Aura to reclaim your minions if you die, or possibly to steal minions from monsters who create them. Not many monsters can, however, and the ones that can do not create them nearly as fast as the average Minion Master Necromancer. As such, Verata's Gaze may be a better choice for stealing minions. * Skills such as Putrid Explosion will exploit corpses, rendering them useless to a Minion Master. * You can use Animate Bone Horror instead of Animate Shambling Horror. The differences between a Shambling Horror and a Bone Horror, except for the 'skin', include a different attack range from Bone Minions and Vampiric Horrors and the fact that when a Shambling Horror dies they will immediately turn into a Jagged Horror, which will cause bleeding with its attacks. Those using Shambling Horror will find a longer recharge time in return for this fact, so faster-recharging summons are advised. * Resurrection Signet can be exchanged for any other resurrect. * Using Dwayna's Sorrow on your minions can provide numerous cheap heals for your entire party. * When used on a hero in PvE, Animate Flesh Golem can be replaced by Jagged Bones (Replace Animate Shambling Horror with Animate Bone Horror, too). Heroes are quite good at casting that spell on the right minion. * When using this build with a hero, consider adding Leech Signet and/or Power Drain and putting some points in Inspiration. * Consider using Mystic Regeneration as a self heal. * Heal Area can be used for greater minion healing abilities. * Mark of Pain can be used to further increase the power of your minions. Notes *Death of minions or foes creates a 13 energy gain which is usually more than enough to create new minions. *Although it isnt stated in the build template Blood of the Master has a 5% blood sacrifice. See Also *Build:N/any Minion Bomber N/any Minion Master